The Best Running Hydration Packs of 2017

Finding the best hydration pack for running can be a difficult task. To help, we analyzed the top contenders on the market and purchased 8 of the best performers. We tested them side-by-side using a series of metrics and wore them for months in various terrain. Through local trails, mountains, during ultras, and on casual jaunts, we sorted through the models, so you don't have to. We also dissected everything from their comfort to their storage capacity to their feature sets, noting annoying quirks and welcomed advantages. We know how challenging choosing a running vest is, and that's where our review comes in. No matter the adventure you seek, we've pinpointed the best pack for your back.

Analysis and Award Winners

Review by:
Andy Wellman & Lauren DeLaunay

Last Updated:
Thursday
September 14, 2017

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Now Including Women's Vests - September 2017
New for Fall 2017, we've added three women's specific models to this review. Our female testers spent weeks living in these vests, comparing them directly to both each other and men's models to learn the ins and outs of each. We evaluated the three women's packs on the same metrics as the men's but only directly compared them to one another. We also updated the five men's specific models in this review in April so that you could be ready to hit the trails running this summer. This included an update to our men's Editors' Choice Award winner, the Salomon ADV Skin 12 Set, which is both lighter and less expensive than the one we initially tested.

Best Overall Hydration Pack for Running

Salomon ADV Skin 12 Set

The ADV Skin 12 Set is expensive but worth every penny. In 2017, it received a facelift, with a new name (Salomon dropped the "S-LAB" and "3" from the name), lower price and weight, and a few updated features. This model's snug-fitting elastic construction was the most comfortable of all the contenders we tested, and an easy, innovative pocket design further sealed the deal. We loved the kangaroo pouches, a unique feature to this model. Testers thought the soft flask hydration system was the most versatile and comfortable system reviewed, and a heat protective sleeve (if you purchase a bladder separately) rounds out the feature set. This pack takes on long, intense ultras, or more casual long runs.

Best Overall Running Pack for Women

Nathan VaporHowe 12L

The Nathan VaporHowe impressed us right out of the box, and we only grew more and more in love with it the more we used it. With an incredibly light, breathable, comfortable material, this pack conforms to the body, letting you move freely without even realizing you have it on. It has an outrageous storage capacity, and we were challenged to test our limits; it always fit everything we wanted to bring along, whether we were racing or going for a big mission in the backcountry. The VaporHowe's pocket collection is the best of any women's vest we tested, and we admired its simple, efficient hydration system. It comes at a whopping $180, but we think it is ultimately worth every penny for the dedicated distance runner and adventurer.

Top Pick for Bladder Hydration

Nathan Vapor Air 2L

Most prefer one style of hydration system over another, and when it comes to chest-mounted bottles, you either love or hate them. Our Editors' Choice winner incorporated chest-mounted soft flasks and awarding the best bladder and hose style hydration pack for running seemed appropriate. Luckily, the decision was easy. The Nathan Vapor Air 2L has an easy-to-access bladder in a designated pouch that opens from the top. A magnetic hose clip keeps the hose out of your way while allowing for quick access. Testers loved the many large, accessible pockets, as well as the large storage capacity and bungees, which make it easy to attach any clothing to the outside. Nathan is one of the original running vest manufacturers, and the Vapor Air represents the evolution of many years of quality manufacturing.

Notable Pack for Women

Ultimate Direction Ultra Vesta

The Ultimate Direction Ultra Vesta is a great pack, and at $135, a more reasonable purchase than our staff favorite, the Nathan VaporHowe. We thought it was comfortable and practical, capable of joining you on almost any adventure you could throw at it. This pack may not have all the bells and whistles of the VaporHowe, but it does have a great selection of pockets and a great soft flask hydration system, ideal for runners who prefer front water storage over a rear bladder and hose.

Useful for short runs only, the Dyna is an inexpensive solution to hydration woes.

Analysis and Test Results

Also known as running vests, these hydration packs for running carry water, food, and emergency essentials that you can't leave behind on a long run. Hydration packs for running are designed specifically for long trail runs, adventure runs, or races where a simple handheld water bottle and a gel or two will not suffice. Unlike many other small hydration systems, these models prioritize a form fit that helps keep the pack in place during the up and down bouncing of running. To accomplish this, the products in this review feature dual chest straps to secure them in place and do not have waist belts. They are also designed to be very sleek and lightweight. While running in the mountains for 20 miles, the last thing you want is to be slowed down by carrying a hydration system that is too bulky or heavy. Lastly, they all feature a plethora of pockets on the chest straps or sides to store food and accessories within easy reach without needing to take the whole thing off. Taking the pack off takes time, and while you're running, the last thing you want to do is stop. Of course, there are many other features and a variety of different hydration systems that make them ideal for running. Read on to learn more! Our hydration pack buying advice article also has more information but does not speak specifically to runners.

Hydration packs for running are a key accessory for long runs in the mountains when food, water, a camera, map, and of course rain clothing are all required.

What's in a Women's Fit?

For Fall 2017, we wanted to add to this review by adding women's specific models. We gave our female tester three top gender-specific models, as one at one men's contenders, to spend some time investigating. What we eventually found was that every product fits differently, be it a men's or women's design, and we firmly recommend trying on a pack before buying. The sizing varied significantly across brands, and while our female tester has a petite frame, she saw no reason not to use the men's Nathan VaporAir.

It does seem that most men's small sizes are much bigger than a woman's small, so the most likely reason a woman might need to wear a women's specific vest would be for sizing. We found that the cut and dimensions were nearly identical between the gender-specific packs and that any good vest is adjustable enough to suit a variety of body types.

After trying to get to the bottom of the gender-specific running pack debate, our general feeling is that it doesn't matter. Men's models often have a larger capacity which might them great choices for the female adventurer looking to carry as much as she can. We dug a little deeper and talked to a representative at Ultimate Direction about their packs, and they told us they primarily focused on the fit of the shoulders and chest straps when making a women's specific model.

Because we had a hard time noticing the difference ourselves, we encourage you to try on a variety of models, male or female, to find the fit that's right for you. We can't stress enough how important a good fit is after dozens of miles on the trails, and we think that keeping an open mind will ensure you find the perfect vest for you. Below, check out a side-by-side of all three women's specific models compared to the men's model. From left to right: Ultimate Direction Ultra Vesta, Osprey Dyna, Nathan VaporHowe, Nathan VaporAir (men's).

Types of Hydration Packs for Running

The models that we chose to review incorporate two different methods for holding liquids. One is the standard bladder and hose, with the bladder residing against the small of the back, and the hose looping around and attaching to the front, within easy reach for drinking. The second is either two bottles or soft flasks that live in dual chest pockets on the front. There are advantages and disadvantages of each system, discussed below under Hydration System. However, most of these hydration packs for running are adaptable to either system. They may come with an included bladder but have front holsters for bottles. Or more likely they come with front bottles, but can also accommodate a bladder and hose if you buy one separately.

Front view of the five products that we tested. From left to right: Patagonia, Salomon, CamelBak, Nathan, Ultimate Direction.

While we will make mention of each pack's adaptability, for the sake of this review, we evaluated the contender based on the hydration system that is included with your purchase.

The backs of the five hydration packs we tested. From left to right: Patagonia, Salomon, CamelBak, Nathan, Ultimate Direction.

Comfort

The most important criteria when ranking these hydration packs for running is comfort. For that reason, we weighted it as 30% of a product's final score. Any chafing, rubbing, or pressure points are greatly magnified when running because of the natural bouncing action of the body. Add in long distances and time, and you can see why comfort is so critical.

The most comfortable contenders were the ones that used elastic and stretchy material to hug the body, rather than adjustable straps. While adjustable straps, especially on the sides, allow for greater adjustability, they also rub and chafe more. Packs that included shoulder adjustment straps tended to be more comfortable than those without because of the fine-tuned fit. On the other end of the spectrum, the most comfortable models we tested were our Editors' Choice winners, the Salomon ADV Skin 12 Set and Nathan VaporHowe.

Another day of testing packs at a long ultra race. This is about a quarter of the way into the Bighorn Mountain 100 mile in Wyoming. Our Top Pick Award winner worked fantastic.

Features & Design

Each product has its unique features and design that set it apart from the others. These are what makes the pack comfortable and function well (or not). Our favorite features include the top-loading backpack-style main compartment of the Patagonia Fore Runner Vest 10L and the stretchy pocket of the Nathan VaporHowe. We also loved the additional external bungees that allowed us to attach extra articles of clothing to the outside of the Ultimate Direction SJ Ultra Vest 3.0, Nathan Vapor Air 2L and Ultimate Direction Ultra Vesta.

We explain what features each model includes and how useful they are in the individual reviews. We weighted features as 15% of each product's final score.

The pole straps on the Salomon hydration pack are a challenge to figure out but pretty easy to implement once understood. The poles can be rigged into this position without taking the pack off.

Hydration System

Since these are hydration packs for running, they, of course, include some hydration system. The two main methods for holding and delivering hydration to your mouth were a bladder and hose set-up mounted on the back, or chest-mounted bottles or soft flasks. The pros and cons of these systems are described in greater detail below. The Nathan Vapor Air 2L, Patagonia Fore Runner Vest, Nathan VaporHowe, and Osprey Dyna used the bladder and hose configuration. Meanwhile, the Salomon ADV Skin 12 Set as well as Ultimate Direction's SJ Ultra Vest 3.0 and Ultra Vesta used two chest-mounted soft flasks.

It is worth noting that most of these models are adaptable to use either chest-mounted bottles/flasks or a back-mounted bladder and hose set-up. However, we chose to describe and rank the effectiveness of only the hydration system that was included with purchase of each vest, rather than every conceivable method of rigging the pack.

We loved the magnetic hose clamp on the Nathan pack. No need to look or fumble around to unclasp or re-clasp the hose. The moment they were close to each other the hose would attach itself magnetically. A cool innovative feature.

Bladder & Hose
The bladder and hose hydration system is one that we are all familiar with and is almost synonymous with the brand CamelBak. This method uses a rubbery plastic bladder, typically two liters in size, and mounts it against the small of your back inside the pack. A hose stretches from the bottom of the bladder, over your shoulder or under your armpit, and has a nozzle on the end for you to drink from. The advantages of this system are the large carrying capacity and the ease of drinking from a tube.

The disadvantages are that you can only have one liquid, and bladders usually don't work well with anything besides water. Furthermore, they can be annoying and time-consuming to fill since they are on the inside of your backpack, and the tube, depending on how it is mounted to your shoulder straps, can be annoying as it flaps around as you run. You also don't know how close you are to drinking all of your liquid, and the liquid that is in the hose at any given point can either get uncomfortably hot from the sun, or freeze if it is frigid out. Despite the drawbacks, this is the most popularly used hydration system in a hydration pack.

All of the products we reviewed will accommodate a bladder, even if they don't come with one included. If you're going to purchase a bladder separately, be sure to check our reviews. The reviews list the manufacturer-specific bladder that is designed to be compatible with that pack.

Chest-Mounted Bottles
Mounting the hydration system on the chest is becoming increasingly common and popular for running. Ultimate Direction popularized this system, although it was certainly in limited use beforehand. Your water is stored in two bottles that are held by extra large pockets on the chest attached to the shoulder straps. Advantages of this system are that with two bottles, you can have two different liquids with you at any time. It is also easy to see how close you are to empty, and thus easier to ration, and with easier access to bottles as compared to a bladder, it is much quicker and simpler to refill. Some people also feel like chest-mounted bottles balance out the body better (the weight of gear on the back balanced by the weight of water on the front) which can lead to less fatigue of the back muscles when running with a pack for an extended period of time. The disadvantages are that you have sloshing water bottles on your chest; this can be annoying, and depending on the shape and hardness of the bottles, also uncomfortable.

Chest-Mounted Soft Flasks
The Salomon ADV Skin 12 Set (our Editors' Choice winner) uses chest-mounted soft-flasks as its primary hydration system. A modification on the chest-mounted water bottle system, soft flasks are mostly mini bladders with water bottle style nozzles rather than a hose. They are soft and can change shape. This is an excellent system to chest-mounted bottles as it eliminates discomfort from pressure points, and also reduces sloshing of liquid in the bottles. For 2017, Ultimate Direction updated their packs to use a similar soft flask as opposed to the hard bottles of yesteryear. Both the Ultra Vesta and SJ Ultra Vest now come with flasks instead of bottles. Seen below is the soft flask of the Salomon vest, left, and the Ultimate Direction Ultra Vesta, right.

If you want to add the high-performing Salomon Soft Flask to another pack, you can purchase them separately.

Storage Capacity

Besides carrying water, the other purpose of a hydration pack for running is to carry the clothing, food, and equipment you need for a successful long run or adventure, without having it disrupt your running stride. Without enough storage capacity, it is impossible to carry what you need. This category goes hand-in-hand with the one below, Pockets, but this one specifically focuses on whether the design is capable of holding everything you will need comfortably and without modification.

The top scorers in this category, the Patagonia Fore Runner Vest and Nathan VaporHowe can carry everything we felt was needed in their large top-loading storage compartments. We chose to rate Storage Capacity as 15% of a product's final score.

The VaporHowe has an impressive storage capacity and can fit everything we need for a day on the trails.

Pockets

The very liberal use of pockets may be the most notably different characteristic of a hydration pack for running as compared to a regular old hydration pack. Running vests are designed with many different pockets on the front of the pack, attached to the shoulder straps and sitting on the chest or sides, where they are within easy reach of the runner at all times. The idea is that a runner should be able to grab whatever they need, whether it is water, food, a cell phone or camera, or electrolyte pills, while on the run and without needing to stop or remove the pack. The contenders with the best pocket configurations were the Salomon ADV Skin 12 Set and Nathan VaporHowe which had tons of different options, all within reach, and all made out of expandable fabrics to hold different sized items.

On the other end of the spectrum were the Patagonia Fore Runner Vest and Osprey Dyna, which unfortunately only had four total pockets within reach, and all of them were relatively small and not so versatile. The arrangement of pockets is described in greater detail in the individual reviews. Pockets accounted for 15% of a product's final score.

The Ultra Vesta has a nice zippered pocket on the front for valuable snacks.

Weight

The evolution of virtually all outdoor gear is to be lighter without sacrificing durability or functionality; weight is an important characteristic, which is why we believe that lighter is better. To find the weight we weighed each model straight out of the box, with all the accessories and hydration system that it came with, minus the water. The lightest product, weighing 12.6 oz, was the Nathan VaporHowe, while the heaviest was the Patagonia Fore Runner at 15.8 oz. Weight accounted for 10% of a product's final score.

Conclusion

A hydration pack in this category is not for everyone, but if you are an avid runner in need of something more sufficient than a water bottle, these models may revolutionize your experience. Designed to be more streamlined than regular backpacks, the hydration packs for running in this review are specific to running with a form that helps to keep the model in place during the natural motion of running. Choosing the right contender can be difficult as each model has its features and design fit for specific preferences. The choice between a bladder and hose system or chest-mounted soft flasks or bottles is a good place to start when selecting the right pack for you.